Google Analytics by Yoast 5 was a major rewrite and had some issues that affected all sites, but was quickly patched throughout the day, ending with v5.0.5 being automatically pushed out to all sites that haven’t turned off automatic minor updates. Let’s review the updates in Google Analytics now that we’ve had time to play with it on a number of live sites that we manage for customers.

Google Analytics by Yoast 5 Enhancements

For the Google Analytics plugin by Yoast, the v5 update includes these new enhancements:

Universal tracking added

Better link tracking

New Universal demographics feature

New menu items in the WordPress admin menu

The big item is Universal Analytics support, which is something Google added to it’s Analytics platform back in March of 2013 but hasn’t been widely adopted by many because it wasn’t built in to most plugins, nor were it’s benefits really understood either. Now that this widely popular plugin supports it, more people will be wanting to upgrade their Google Analytics account to take advantage of it, so here’s a few points to keep in mind…

Benefits of Google Universal Analytics

The User ID is a Universal Analytics feature that you can use to associate multiple sessions (and any activity within those sessions) with a unique ID. When you send a unique ID and any related engagement data to Google Analytics, all activity is attributed to one user in your reports. With the User ID, you can get a more accurate user count, analyze the signed-in user experience, and get access to the new Cross Device reports. Learn more about the User ID.

Use simplified and more accessible configuration options.

Universal Analytics gives you more configuration options that you can control from your account admin page:

Implement Enhanced Ecommerce.

Once you’ve deployed Universal Analytics, you can then tag your site with the ec.js plugin, and then use the Enhanced Ecommerce reports to analyze your users’ shopping and purchasing behavior, the success of your internal and external marketing efforts, and the economic performance of your products.

Stay up to date with new features and updates.

With Universal Analytics, you can use all of the standard Google Analytics reports and tools, but you also get access to new features.

New features and product updates are only available to Universal Analytics properties. Classic Google Analytics properties, or Universal Analytics properties using an older collection method like the ga.jsJavaScript library, will not receive access to all future product changes.

Warnings When Using Universal Analytics

Referrals are processed differently than in previous versions of Google Analytics.

By default, all referrals trigger a new session in Universal Analytics. For example, if a user is on your site, leaves but then immediately returns, this user has logged 2 sessions. You can, however, modify your tracking code to exclude all traffic from specific domains as referral traffic with the referral exclusions.

Data sent via a Universal Analytics collection method can only be processed by a Universal Analytics property.

When you implement a Universal Analytics collection method, like the analytics.js JavaScript for websites, SDK v2.x or higher for mobile apps, or the Measurement Protocol for other digital devices, you must send this data to a Universal Analytics enabled property. Data sent from one of these methods to a classic Google Analytics property will not be processed.

Rob (@DowntownRob) is a technology and marketing pro who knows his stuff when it comes to WordPress, social web integration, and throwing awesome social media powered events. A San Diego Magazine Top Tech Exec Award nominee, Rob started Press Wizards in 1997, today a leading Wordpress service provider, and co-founded Fandom Marketing and Minglestream Tweetwall in 2011. Prior to 2012, he worked in IT management at Nik Software (acquired by Google), creators of Apple's 2011 iPad App of the Year, Snapseed.

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